Plating equipment



Ill I H i I l I IHHIW ll i wli 1 I I I 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 w. o. EMARD vPLATING EQUIPMENT Filed March 25. 1925 Jan. 11, 1927.

Jan. 11,1927.

W. O. EMARD PLATING EQUI PMENT Filed March 25, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 2Patented-Jan. 1-1, 19 27. F

' UNITED "STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILFRED O. EMABD, OF BROOKFIELD, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR T ELMER J'. MERCIL,0F OAK PARK, ILLINOIS.

PLATING EQUIPMENT.

Application filed March 23, 1925. Serial No. 17,665.

My invention relates to plating equipment. The invention has for itsobject the provision of means whereby a given equipment may be employedto apply different kinds or characters of platings to objects that areconveyed to the plating baths by a single conveyor. The equipment of myinvention includes at least two plating tanks, a traveling conveyorhaving two object supporting portions which travel in lines that areabreast, each of said supporting portions having a tank individualthereto, each tank being preferably located vertically beneath the lineof travel of the supporting portion to which it is individual to receiveobjects carried by the supporting portion in the solution contained insaid tank and solocated with respect to the line of travel of the othersupporting portion as not to receive objects carried by the lattersupporting portions.

The invention will be more fully explained in connection with theaccompanying drawings in which Fig. 1 is a view somewhat diagrammatic,illustrating the preferred equipment of the invention; Fig. 2 is a .sideelevation with portions in section showing the preferred embodiment ofthe invention; Fig. 3 is a sectional view on line 3-3 of Fig. 2; Fig. 4:is a side view of a part of the equipment; Fig. 5 is a plan viewillustrating the preferred arrangement of the tanks, and Fig. 6 is aperspective view illustrating the preferred form of supports which arecarried by the conveyor.

The plating tanks 1 and 2 are preferably constructed as illustrated, thetank 1 being of U shape and the tank 2 bein located between the branchesor sides of the U-shaped tank 1. A conveying sprocket chain 3, of

usual construction, is caused to travel horizontally in an elongatedorbit, this chain passing about the sprocket wheels 4 and 5 which definethe ends of its orbit, the inner wall of the tank 1 having a curvedportion 6 joining the sides of this wheel and which portion 6 is curvedand coaxial with the wheel 4. The chain 3 travels upon a track 7 havingtwo rails 8 and 9 which extend along the straightsides of the path ofthe chain and terminate short of the wheels 4: and 5. The chain hasrollers 10 and 11 which turn upon the rails 8 and 9, partsof the chainentering the spaces between the rails 8 and 9 of the track, whereby thepath of the chain is defined between the wheels 4 and 5, these wheelsbeing so formed as to maintain the chain in its proper path when turningaround with the wheels. A suitable number of tanks 12, 13, 14, 15, 16,17, 18, and 19 are disposed beneath the tracks and contain differentsolutions, some for pickling the objects to be cleaned, some containingcleaning solution, and some containing rinsing liquid, these tanks beingpositioned to receive objects which are carried over the same and which,by mechanism to be described, are lowered and elevated from the same asthe chain travels. The loading station 20 is disposed below the wheel 5.The plating tanks 1 and 2 are located below the wheel 4 in position toreceive objects carried by the chain and into which these objects aredipped for the plating operation and from which the objects are removedafter the plating operation. The chain has supporting portions fordirectly carrying the objects that are to be cleaned and plated, thesesupporting portions being preferably of the construction illustrated.Each supporting portion shown includes a pair of upright bars which arejoinedat their upper ends by a cross head 22 which has openings thereinthat receive adjacent chains 23 carried by and projecting upwardly fromthe chain. The cross heads 22 have upwardly projecting stems 24 that areformed with downwardly facing recesses 25.

The mechanism for driving the chain is shown as being inclusive of anelectric motor which drives a worm 27 that is in the usual drivingrelation with the driving sprocket wheel 4,-the sprocket wheel 5 beingan idler wheel. The motor also drives a spur pinion 28-which drives aspur gear 29. :The spur gear 29 is fixed upon a shaft 30 and upon thisshaft are fixed bevel pinions 31 at each tank. Each bevel pinion is inmesh with and oppositely rotates two bevel gears 32. Each bevel gear hasa shaft 34 individual thereto, the shaft 34 pertaining to each pair ofpinions rotating in opposite directions. Each shaft 34 has an arm 35which it turns, each arm carryin a pin 36. Each arm,

while being turne by its shaft, is movable in its plane of rotationtransversely of such shaft by meansyof a groove member 37 which receivesa cam roller upon the corresponding arm 35. Each member 37 straddlesadjacent tanks and serves, in conjunction with the I cross arms 41 and42 on opposite sides of the chain, one of these latter two arms beingvertically above the plating tank 1 and the other of the:e two armsbeing vertically above the tank 2. The plating tanks 1 and 2 containdifferent kinds of solutions whereby the objects upon the arms 41 may beplated with metal different from the metal which is plated upon theobject carried by the arms 42, or the plating upon the objects enteringboth plating tanks may be of similar metal but of different character orextent. If it is desired, in a given run,'to effect only one kind ofplating, but one of the tanks 1 or 2 is employed, and the objects to beplated are placed only upon the arms 41 or the arms 42, which travelover the tank that is to be used. The plating equipment illustrated isan electroplating equipment employing anodes 43 and complementalcathodes arranged in any usual or suitable way, and as such arrangementsare well known to those skilled in the art the arrangement shown willnot be more specifically described The advantages in the apparatus of myin- .vention will be readily appreciated by those familiar with the art.

' Changes may be made without departing from my invention.

Having thus descrlbed my invention I claim:

' 1. In a plating equipment, two plating tanks one of which is disposedWithin the limits of the other, a traveling conveyor above the tankswhoseline of travel is directionally similar to the line of divisionbetween said tanks, and a Work support moved by the conveyor andstraddling the line of division between the tanks whereby a plurality ofarticles suspended from said support may be moved simultaneously withsome of the articles passing through one tank and the remainder throughthe other tank.

2. In a plating equipment, a tank having the form of a U, a second tankembraced by the arms and bight portion of the first tank, a travelingconveyor above the tanks whose line of travel is directionally similarto the line of division between said tanks, and a. work support moved bythe conveyor and straddling the line of division between the tankswhereby a plurality of articles suspended from said support may be movedsimultaneously with some passing through one tank and the remainderthrough the other tank. v

3. In a plating equipment, two platlng tanks, and a traveling conveyorhaving artrcle carrying portions located to traverse'only one tank, andother object carrying portions located to traverse only the other tank,whereby articles carried by said portions may be moved with some of thearticles passing through one tank and the remainder through the othertank.

4. In a plating equipment, two plating tanks, and a traveling conveyorhaving a line of travel located between remote limits of the tanks, saidconveyor having article carrying portions some of which are located.

to traverse only one tank and the remainder located to traverse only theother tank, whereby articles carried by said portions may be moved withsome of the articles passing through one tank and the remainder throughthe other tank.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name.

WILFRED o. EMARD.

